During landing and takeoff of an aircraft, it is possible that a portion of the fuselage of the aircraft may contact the ground if the incidence angle of the aircraft is too great. Aircraft having a higher probability of a ground strike during landing and takeoff may include a tail absorber to protect the fuselage in the event of a ground strike. FIG. 6 shows an aircraft having a tail absorber 1 protruding through the fuselage 25. A portion of the tail absorber 1 protrudes below the fuselage 25, so in the event that there is a ground strike during takeoff or landing, the tail absorber 1 contacts the ground instead of a portion of the fuselage 25.
The tail absorber 1 (shown in FIG. 6) is adapted to absorb the energy from the ground strike. For example, the tail absorber 1 typically includes a telescopic mechanism within the fuselage 25 that crushes a crushable cartridge upon contact with the portion protruding below the fuselage 25 in an effort to absorb the energy from the ground strike. The cartridge may then be replaced with a new cartridge so that the system can potentially provide further protection against damage to the fuselage of the aircraft in the event of a ground strike. The typical tail absorber 1 mechanism may weigh approximately 350 lbs and provides protection against damage to the aircraft for ground strikes at a velocity near 5 feet per second. As the tail absorber 1 protrudes through the fuselage 25, the tail absorber is typically positioned behind the bulkhead isolating the fuselage from the pressurized passenger compartment. The introduction of advanced flight control laws that act as electronic tail strike protection systems has reduced the occurrences of ground strikes during landing and takeoff procedures. Further, advanced flight control law systems have reduced the force of a ground strike when it does occur. With advanced flight control systems a ground strike, will likely have a velocity of less than half of what was previously designed to protect. With the advent of advanced flight control laws, it would be beneficial to provide a fuselage protection mechanism that overcomes the potential disadvantages of the prior tail absorbing mechanisms. The present disclosure is directed to overcoming these disadvantages.